So I applied for a job last week, and now that company is following me on twitter. I didn't mention anywhere in my résumé or cover letter about my twitter account, but I did start following them after I applied for the job. I thought maybe they followed me simply because I started following them, but that doesn't seem to be the case as they have a couple thousand followers but only follow about 400.

Now I feel pressured to perform and be entertaining. What are they looking for? Twitter and social media is a big part of this job, but this is my personal twitter account that I use essentially as an RSS aggregate. I don't use it in the way that I would if I get the job.

Also, I want to follow up on my application. The person in charge of hiring for this position is fairly active on twitter himself, even though its a separate account from the one that is now following me. Should I send him an email, or try to reach him on twitter?

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I think the bigger reason they are following you is to make sure you aren't posting stupid or offensive tweets, similar to how employers look at people's Facebook pages. As for your second question, a phone call is always the safer, and best, way to follow-up; it shows that you care more than an email or tweet would.

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Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it - Mark Twain

Up your twitter game. They are looking for you to put your money where your mouth is.

This is what I'm thinking, and I've been forcing myself to be more active on twitter in posting. But I don't use my twitter profile to build an audience and most of my friends aren't on twitter. So I have 7 followers, and 5 of them are spam.

Quote from: Suitably Ironic Moniker on February 18, 2013, 11:11:10 PM

I think the bigger reason they are following you is to make sure you aren't posting stupid or offensive tweets, similar to how employers look at people's Facebook pages.

When I saw they were following me I did a mental rundown of my recent tweets to make sure I didn't say anything that made me seem like a giant douchebag.

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As for your second question, a phone call is always the safer, and best, way to follow-up; it shows that you care more than an email or tweet would.

Hmm... Good point. But this is always the hardest part for me. What the hell do I say in the follow up? "Hi, I'm msteelers and I applied for this job. So... what's up?"

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It depends on whether they tell you that you got the job or not. If you didn't, ask them how you could improve your interviewing skills. If you did get the job, ask if they cover monkey butlers under the health care plan.

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Patriotism means being loyal to your country all the time and to its government when it deserves it - Mark Twain

Up your twitter game. They are looking for you to put your money where your mouth is.

This is what I'm thinking, and I've been forcing myself to be more active on twitter in posting. But I don't use my twitter profile to build an audience and most of my friends aren't on twitter. So I have 7 followers, and 5 of them are spam.

Quote from: Suitably Ironic Moniker on February 18, 2013, 11:11:10 PM

I think the bigger reason they are following you is to make sure you aren't posting stupid or offensive tweets, similar to how employers look at people's Facebook pages.

When I saw they were following me I did a mental rundown of my recent tweets to make sure I didn't say anything that made me seem like a giant douchebag.

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As for your second question, a phone call is always the safer, and best, way to follow-up; it shows that you care more than an email or tweet would.

Hmm... Good point. But this is always the hardest part for me. What the hell do I say in the follow up? "Hi, I'm msteelers and I applied for this job. So... what's up?"

Hi, this is Ms. Teelers! I'm calling to follow up on an interview for the position of XXX with your firm, and would like to know the status of my application. I am excited for the potential your firm offers, and feel I'm a really good fit for the position.

<they speak>

They're likely to say something about someone being on vacation, or in the review process, or something like that.

Then you can ask : Would it be alright if I follow up on this at a later date? When would you suggest I check back, assuming I have not been contacted?

It's also fair to bring up the twitter follow, and be honest with them regarding that twitter account - set their expectation so they don't go "Dudez not no twit' skillz, yo" because they've decided to follow you at a social rather than professional level. If you feel you need to sell yourself, I'd suggest (long before calling) that you establish another Twitter presence for you to upsell.

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"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners." - Johnny Carson

I work for a company that focuses on social media- trust me- if the above is true, then your performance on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. is as much a testament to your ability to do the job as anything else.

I work for a company that focuses on social media- trust me- if the above is true, then your performance on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. is as much a testament to your ability to do the job as anything else.

What is the gig?

I would be the co-host/producer for an afternoon sports talk radio show, and also be involved for the pre-game show of a certain NFL team. I want this job.

Looking back, twitter and social media isn't mentioned specifically in the job description. But it's kind of a given with any on-air job with radio anymore.

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